Team
Co-Founder and Partner
Sarah Currie-Halpern
Before launching Think Zero, Sarah ran the Solid Waste and Zero Waste Programs for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability (MOS). Her work focused on implementing the Zero Waste Plan by increasing commercial, school, and NYCHA composting and recycling; encouraging waste reduction, reuse, and donation; reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste, and developing and improving the waste policy citywide. She was on the team that created the Zero Waste section of OneNYC and led the Waste section of the 80x50 plan.
Sarah also ran the multi-agency Zero Waste Steering Committee, developed and led the Mayor’s Zero Waste Challenge, and pushed forward groundbreaking work around light pollution.
Sarah is a Board Member of Sanitation Foundation and Earth Day Initiative and she is the former Chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB), and a Board of Trustees Member of the College of the Atlantic and the Sanitation Foundation.
Sarah holds a BS from Boston University School of Management and a certificate from New York University. She is certified as a TRUE Zero Waste Business Associate by GBCI, and a WELL AP
Ushma has had a lifelong interest in sustainability and waste reduction. Before the term "zero waste" was coined, she was raising awareness about consumption and waste with her schoolmates and work colleagues.
Prior to launching Think Zero, Ushma held senior management roles with American Express, Booz & Co., and Katzenbach Partners. She has worked on environmental issues with organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund, the Department of Environment of the City of Chicago, and Acumen.
Ushma is a member of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB) and the NYC chapter of the New York League of Conservation Voters. She was previously on the Board of Sustainable South Bronx, where she oversaw the for-profit subsidiary Cool Roofs that worked on cooling and greening roofs throughout NYC.
Ushma holds degrees from Georgetown University, Columbia University and Harvard University. She is certified as a TRUE Zero Waste Business Associate by GBCI.
Co-Founder and Partner
Ushma Pandya Mehta
Account Manager
Nicole DeSantis
Before joining Think Zero, Nicole established herself as a leader in the sustainability scene in New York City. Having a passion for the environment and volunteering that dates back to high school, Nicole has done community work with various organizations.
In 2016, Nicole joined the Clean Bushwick Initiative, a local organization committed to bettering the environment through education, tree and rain garden care, with a focus on litter mitigation and environmental workshops. Nicole took over as director of CBI in 2018. In June of 2020 her passion and commitment earned her the title of “NY 1 New Yorker of the week”.
Nicole has had the pleasure of working with sustainability focused companies like Cup Zero, Re:Dish and the non profit Sanitation Foundation, all working to achieve zero waste goals.
Nicole has a background in office management and bookkeeping, holds a degree from The New School University, a CASAC certification from Metropolitan college, is on the Executive Committee of Project Main Street, and is a certified hospice volunteer.
Jenny works with Think Zero as a communications and marketing consultant. She has a background in graphic design and develops multimedia, print, and digital work for clients.
Jenny is passionate about sustainability education and also works with the Sanitation Foundation managing various projects including their Zero Waste Academy. She is a member of the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board and heads their Education committee. Jenny is an AmeriCorps alum and prior to Think Zero she worked in education and as the Head of Operations for an ethical fashion company and a subsidiary of Liberty & Justice, Africa's first Fair Trade Certified apparel manufacturer.
She holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Delaware and a M.S. in Sustainability in the Urban Environment from the City College of New York.
Communications & Marketing
Jenny Lin
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